A former waitress committed suicide after sending her partner a picture of some pills on a text message, an inquest heard.

Kelly Anne Evans, 28, was found dead the next day by Robert Carr at their home on Foxwood Chase in Huncoat with 10 times the normal level of medication in her system.

Blackburn Coroners Court heard how Miss Evans had a history of self-harm and previously attempted suicide when she was 16.

The former pizza restaurant waitress and hotel worker had also sent similar threats to her partner Mr Carr, but she always told him not to ‘not take any notice’ because she would ‘never do it’, the inquest heard. The court heard how Miss Evans had been in a ‘volatile’ relationship with project manager Mr Carr and he was working away in Gloucester the night before her death, on November 13 last year.

Mr Carr told the inquest that Miss Evans was ‘unhappy’ and ‘annoyed’ after he told her he was going for some drinks with workmates and she started sending him text messages including a picture of some pills, which she threatened to take. He said: “She said things like that before which is why I didn’t take them seriously.

“I text her back and told her not to be so silly because she always said to me ‘don’t take any notice when I say things like this because I’ll never do it’. I took it with a pinch of salt.”

Mr Carr tried to contact Miss Evans the next morning but did not receive a reply and said when he returned home at around 1pm the house ‘didn’t look right’. He said the post was still in the door, the curtains were closed and the bins had not been put out. Mr Carr said he then went upstairs and found Miss Evans lying on the bed but thought she was ‘messing about’.

He added: “There was nothing to lead me to think she was going to do that.”

Pathologist Dr Jeepa Jacob said she died of drug toxicity and a post-mortem examination showed previous evidence of self-harm.

In a statement, her sister Lorraine Evans said she was a ‘loving, caring, bubbly and loud person.’

Assistant Coroner Elaine Block recorded a verdict of suicide.

She said: “The sheer amount of medication which she had taken orally in order to achieve those levels was really quite considerable. It doesn’t tie in with someone taking a few tablets as a cry for help.”